High Velocity Bowling Hands-on

Look out, Mario. Sony is coming to the motion-controlled ball-and-pin market next month with High Velocity Bowling, a quirky, $10 title coming to the PlayStation Network.

Sure, there're modes, characters and trophies to talk about when it comes to HVB -- that's what the kids are calling it these days -- but the real story is the Sixaxis controls that can get you through ten frames of glory without touching any button other than X.

Once you hit the lanes, you'll hold the controller in the palm of your hand with the face buttons toward the ceiling and the shoulder buttons pointing away from your body. From there you will tilt the device left or right to move your on-screen bowler in the corresponding direction and then press X to lock him or her in place on the hardwood. Next, you'll tilt the controller right and left again, but this time you're controlling an arrow on the lane that is directing the path of your ball. Press X to lock in that trajectory, and your player will begin to make his or her approach. Hold down the X button, swing your arm in typical bowling fashion and release the X button on you follow through to let go of the ball.

Expect the next step to involve you cursing your TV as the ball spirals into the gutter.

A meter in the bottom left corner will soon become the bane of Brunswick aficionados everywhere. Depending on how fast you swing your arm, the meter will register either green or red. Release the ball with the meter showing green, and your ball will stick to its specified path, but release it in the red and the ball's going to the gutter faster than um that one popular TV star who is now in the gutter. Get all that down, and you can drop the X button from the last step and add the left or right shoulder button to put spin on your weapon. Another meter lets you know how much pressure you're putting on the selected spin button, and that choice dictates how drastic the curve will be.

HVB packs 10 bowlers that each have their own variation on the accuracy meter as well as personalized alleys, ball weights, spin ratings, speed, accuracy, strengths and weaknesses. You'll initially only have access to Average Joe and Average Jill when you begin the game. The rest of the crew, which includes a mailman and "Black Lung" Beatrice, will need to be unlocked through trick shot competitions, tournament and head-to-head battles in challenge mode.

Look for an equipment gallery and trophy room to be open for business when High Velocity Bowling gets rolling in June, but don't bring your ex-wife's Pomeranian to the lanes. The Dude hates that.